Bamboo Charlie

Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times

Charles Ray Walker, who began collecting discarded toys in 1993, said Christmas is the best time to find them because people throw away old toys to make room for the new. He uses these toys to decorate his garden, pathways and stairs that he has carved in the bamboo clearing.

Charles Ray Walker, who began collecting discarded toys in 1993, said Christmas is the best time to find them because people throw away old toys to make room for the new. He uses these toys to decorate his garden, pathways and stairs that he has carved in the bamboo clearing. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Charles Ray Walker, who began collecting discarded toys in 1993, said Christmas is the best time to find them because people throw away old toys to make room for the new. He uses these toys to decorate his garden, pathways and stairs that he has carved in the bamboo clearing.